Running short on battery life when least expected is a popular concern of notebook owners, and for good reason: external battery packs for laptops are hard to find, and there aren’t as many for sale. You’d be hard-pressed to find one from a big manufacturer, let alone something that’s fully compatible with your machine. Dell is aware of these challenges, and hence the company’s first venture into the world of portable power.
2015 in Revü: Our 10 favorite travel apps
There’s no denying that smartphones have made our lives so much easier, and not just because they have put Google and Facebook at our fingertips, along with a seemingly endless array of viral pet videos that suck away an inordinate amount of our free time. Smartphones, too, have made travelling, whether in the Philippines or abroad, cheaper than most people would think and more convenient than ever. Here are 10 travel apps that are worth checking out, if you haven’t already.
PH’s first online bazaar to go live December 18
Bazaars are now a fixture during the holiday season, but fulfilling your gift-buying duties in places where the finds are most often cheaper than goods being sold in malls, not to mention unique, can be a hassle these days. Metro Manila traffic alone is enough to dissuade even the most zealous of last-minute shoppers.
PLDT intros PC-on-a-stick broadband add-on… again
It seems PLDT is enjoying a successful run with its PC-on-a-stick broadband add-ons. Otherwise, why else would the local telecom giant bring in another product that’s admittedly very similar in pricing and features to the Intel-branded TVolution Stick PLDT released a couple of months ago?
Budget Intel-based Cherry Mobile MAIA Pad Plus announced in PH
Cherry Mobile just unveiled a new Intel-based Android tablet under its MAIA line. The MAIA Pad Plus is priced at P2,999 and is now available in stores.
Globe Telecom rolls out 100Mbps public WiFi service in PH
While the government’s public WiFi initiative seems to be in limbo at the moment, one company has doubled down on its efforts to provide the masses with free and, perhaps more importantly, fast Internet, albeit in only one address for the time being.
QC court orders new Uber, GrabCar applications stopped
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court today threw a wrench into the plans of Uber and GrabCar operators by ordering local transportation offices to stop accepting applications for 20 days, local news outfit Rappler reported earlier. To reiterate: The ruling isn’t meant to prevent customers from traveling in approved vehicles, rather it is to halt pending applications for new Uber and GrabCar licenses.
HOOQ to simultaneously show 2015 MMFF short films and animations
Here’s yet another reason to subscribe to HOOQ: The company recently confirmed to me that short films and animations under the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival’s New Wave category will be shown simultaneously on the country’s biggest subscription video-on-demand platform.
Globe intros Plan 499 with 3GB of data, unlimited calls and texts
Globe Telecom has announced a new low-tier, SIM-only postpaid plan that costs just P499 a month, but comes with a decent amount of data and unlimited calls and texts to Globe and TM subscribers.
Android slider BlackBerry Priv now official in PH
BlackBerry launched the Priv for the Philippine market today, marking a renewed push to be competitive in the high-end segment. A vertical slider phone that runs Android Lollipop instead of BlackBerry 10, the Priv is the Canadian firm’s first product to use a third-party operating system; all previous BlackBerry hardware had its internally developed software on tap.
Cherry Mobile intros Flare S Play, LTE phone w/digital TV tuner
The year isn’t over for Cherry Mobile, as the company today announced the Flare S Play, yet another addition to its best-selling Flare smartphone series.
Samsung head for handset business steps down
The biggest Samsung-related news of today has nothing to do with the company’s Galaxy line of devices, or the homegrown Exynos chipsets that power some of them. Rather, it has everything to do with the chief executive behind them: Samsung co-CEO JK Shin is stepping down from his leadership role in the handset business to focus on new growth areas and long-term strategy.
Vivo to join OPPO, Huawei in PH, lists openings on JobStreet
Another smartphone brand from the Far East is apparently seeking to set up shop in the Philippines, following the likes of OPPO and Huawei. The Chinese outfit I’m referring to is Vivo, which sent a job alert to one of my colleagues in the tech industry.
Cherry Mobile Flare X Android Lollipop update out now
It’s Christmas in November for some folks: Cherry Mobile Flare X owners can now download the official Android Lollipop update for their beloved, bang-for-the-money smartphone. And while the update may have taken some time to develop, it’s finally here, and just in time to give users more reasons to cheer as the year draws to a close.
Meizu M2 coming to Lazada PH on December 4
Remember the Meizu M2 Note? In my review, I pointed out that, despite the system-wide overhaul Meizu gave to Android, the 5.5-inch phone “delivers on many levels without breaking the bank.” In other words, it’s a pretty good purchase even by those who are on the market for a quality handset today.
Nexus 6P now available for preorder in PH
Good news, Android fans: The Huawei-made Nexus 6P, Google’s most premium phone yet (the “P” actually stands for “premium”), is now available for preorder on Lazada’s Philippine website and mobile app. It comes in dark gray and is listed at P29,990, which is about what you’d expect to pay for a smartphone worthy of flagship status. Preorders will ship beginning December 11.
BlackBerry’s first Android effort gets a PH launch date
The last time I heard about the BlackBerry Priv, it was being handed to the Kardashians before anyone else, serving as a sort of reminder that not everyone in Hollywood has an iPhone in their pocket or clutch bag.
Deal alert: JRPGs, other games on sale on Google Play store
Black Friday and Cyber Monday may not mean much in the local tech community, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of some of the best deals of the year. Take, for example, Google, which has slashed price across several AAA games in the Play store, including classic Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest titles (for all you JRPG fans out there).
Dual-screen LG V10 unveiled in PH, will retail for P37,990
As earlier reported, LG has made the LG V10 official in the Philippines. For the uninitiated, the V10 is the Korean electronics maker most premium phone yet, with a P37,990 price tag to show for it. It succeeds the G4 as LG’s flagship smartphone and has all the bells and whistles you’d expect in a top-tier offering, plus a couple of attractions that make it stand out from the competition.
GrabHeli offers a helicopter tour of Metro Manila for less
After coming up with GrabBike, a GrabCar for motorcycles, if you may, GrabTaxi has introduced a new service for Metro Manila residents, this time in the form of a 15-minute helicopter tour of Makati, Bonifacio Global City, and Pasay.